Training won’t hurt communities

Regarding the Pentagon’s proposed training initiative that would create a low-altitude training range covering most of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.

I flew almost 4,000 hours in United States Air Force fighter jets.

We flew hundreds of low-level sorties in high speed and relatively loud jets every day over densely populated parts of Europe.

While I was flying F-111s from Cannon AFB, we flew dozens of high-speed, low-level sorties day and night over the same parts of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado where the USAF is proposing to fly three sorties per day with relatively slow and quiet C-130s and helicopters. We didn’t stampede livestock, we never caused an avalanche, and the tourism industry survived.

The individuals fighting the proposed low-level training area are selfish rabble rousers who will not agree to anything that is not in their own self interests.